Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. Isaiah 40:12–17
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:27–31
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:27–31
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This bit of Scripture is a favorite of mine. It highlights something of the wonder of God in terms of who He is as well as how He cares. It’s a great picture of an important aspect of the Gospel.
One way to present the beauty of this text is to see it in three parts. In the first part, verses 12-17, it’s as if Isaiah is straining to find something worthy to compare God with. So, first he looks at different parts of nature. There are the waters (the seas). Standing on the shore of Israel, you could look at the Mediterranean Sea and not see its end. But what is that compared to God? A little puddle in the palm of His hand. Take a look at the heavens as they stretch from horizon to horizon. That’s no more than the space between God’s thumb and pinky. Well, then let’s take the globe of the earth. But what is that but a bit of dust to God. After looking at nature, and failing to find anything to compare to God, Isaiah shifts his perspective. He looks to humanity in all its glory. Has God benefitted from mankind when it comes to His wisdom or knowledge or sense of justice? Foolish question. Isaiah continues looking for something to compare God to. But there is nothing. The God he worships is incomparable in His beauty, wonder and power.
The second section takes all of that, all of God’s bigness in its various expressions, and brings it down to earth with a simple question, a question that was so very appropriate for the people Isaiah was addressing, and it still is for us.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Isaiah assumes a discouraged people - and if you know anything about Isaiah’s audience and his message to them, you’ll agree with his assumption. And it’s as if they are saying, ‘Okay, Isaiah, you’ve shown me the amazing and awesome God. Great. But what am I to Him? I am a forgotten and neglected bit of nothing. And life is so very hard.’ This is why Isaiah started with describing God’s greatness in that first section. It powerfully sets up what Isaiah will say to these discouraged folk.
And that takes us to the third section of our reading. Here Isaiah is offering some encouragement to these people saying, ‘Wait a minute. Haven’t you heard? Don’t you know what this great and amazing God is like? “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” He isn’t so busy being the incomparable God that He has forgotten you.’
This is a tremendous note of hope that can chase away any discouragement that those people felt. But it isn’t theirs automatically.
And that takes us to the third section of our reading. Here Isaiah is offering some encouragement to these people saying, ‘Wait a minute. Haven’t you heard? Don’t you know what this great and amazing God is like? “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” He isn’t so busy being the incomparable God that He has forgotten you.’
This is a tremendous note of hope that can chase away any discouragement that those people felt. But it isn’t theirs automatically.
…they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
The promise of strength to the weary is for those who wait for the LORD.
So, what is this waiting? It’s just another way to talk about faith, especially when it comes to hoping. What does it mean to hope? (Definitions!) It’s not closing your eyes to reality and wishing harder. It’s waiting for God to keep a promise. Here, it’s the promise of renewed strength to face the battles of life. Those who hear the promise and wait for God to keep that promise - an act of faith - will enjoy the blessing of the promise kept.
The God who is so different from what we see around us, who is nothing like us or anything in all creation - this God is near to His people and knows what they are facing. He certainly provides for His people who, in faith, wait for Him to bless them with what they need to live well.
And isn’t this what Matthew was writing about?
So, what is this waiting? It’s just another way to talk about faith, especially when it comes to hoping. What does it mean to hope? (Definitions!) It’s not closing your eyes to reality and wishing harder. It’s waiting for God to keep a promise. Here, it’s the promise of renewed strength to face the battles of life. Those who hear the promise and wait for God to keep that promise - an act of faith - will enjoy the blessing of the promise kept.
The God who is so different from what we see around us, who is nothing like us or anything in all creation - this God is near to His people and knows what they are facing. He certainly provides for His people who, in faith, wait for Him to bless them with what they need to live well.
And isn’t this what Matthew was writing about?
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23
Isaiah and Matthew are talking about the same thing, a strong and caring God coming to a weak and needy people to be with them. All that is left is to call you to believe God’s promise in Jesus and wait for Him to keep it.
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